Routine optician appointment saves Leeds pensioner’s sight

Did you know getting your eyes checked could save your sight - and even your life?

It’s a fact Rothwell pensioner Eddie Lucas will readily testify to, after being rushed to hospital following a routine check-up .

Opticians became concerned about the 75-year-old’s eye pressure when he booked in to see them three years after his last appointment, which had been with a different company.

The visit resulted in an immediate referral to hospital, where further tests were done.

These revealed he was in need of an urgent operation to save his sight.

“I’d never suffered from any serious eye problems in the past, so the news I needed surgery came as a shock,” said Mr Lucas.

“The consultant at St James’s was waiting for me when I arrived, just two hours after first seeing the opticians at Specsavers,” he added.

Experts at first thought pressure had been building in Mr Lucas’s eyes due to an acute case of glaucoma, but further tests revealed there was a problem with their ability to drain fluid.

Mandip Rehal, store director at Rothwell Specsavers, said: “It just goes to show how important it is to get your eyes checked on a regular basis, at least every two years, because they are literally the window to your health.”

He added: “Checks only take around half an hour but can help discover underlying health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure or even cardiovascular disease, as well as ensure you have clear and comfortable vision.”

Mr Lucas said: “Who knows what could have happened if I hadn’t had my eyes tested? Within a few months I could have lost my sight.

“I’d urge more people to go and get their eyes tested. It’s a thing you often neglect.”